The Chronicles of a Freedom Fighter
by rainbowstrike
Summary: We know Jet as a ruthless 16 year old, seldom seen without a piece of grass in his mouth. What happened to make him the Freedom Fighter we see today? Watch his triumphs and struggles as he goes from 8 years old to a troubled teen, village boy to leader...
1. The Blazing Village

**A/N;**

**First try of an Avatar fic. It's weird, Avatar is my favourite show but I've never tried writing for it before. That changes now, my friends.**

**If any of you are Maximum Ride, Twilight, Teen Titans or Danny Phantom fans, that's what I write for generally. **

**This is the Chronicles of Jet, from his childhood to the strong-willed freedom fighter that we know today. **

**I hope you enjoy this fanfic, and I hope I do Jet justice. **

**-Rain**

The village was silent, not even the cry of a baby disturbing the tense, terrified quiet that had settled over the gathered people. They could all see the smoke in the distance, hear the screams from the neighbouring villages that they often traded with. The Fire Nation were coming.

Jet wrapped his arms around his mother's waist- even though at eight he considered himself a man, the fear in his heart was the kind only his mother could fix. She placed her hand on his shoulder and bent down to kiss his head.

"Villagers!" Li, a respected man of the village, called loudly, "The Fire Nation is too close for us to flee- they will only pursue us, and capture our earth benders! We must stay, we must fight!" A few men voiced their agreement.

"If we fight we will surely be overpowered!" an older man shouted from the back, "Our families will perish!"

"They will perish anyway, if we do not fight!" Li cried, "Brothers and sisters, we cannot let the Fire Nation scum take our village! If we fight, and if we die, we die with honour!"

Jet's eyes lit up- he would fight alongside his father and his brother Tai, and they would be heroes! Maybe they would sing songs about the great battle between the Fire Nation and his village, how he drove the Fire Nation back and saved them all...

There were agreements made and shouts of protest, but eventually it was decided that the village would attempt to drive off the Fire Nation. Jet was hardly listening- his head too full of excitement and wonder.

The men hurried to gather up weapons and shields, their armour simple. Jet grabbed his mother's hand.

"I want to fight!" he said fiercely, "I can help!" he looked up to find tears in his mother's brown eyes. She knelt down and hugged him tightly.

"The women and children are going to run. We have to pack our things quickly and leave with the others. Your father and your brother," her voice broke, her eyelids rapidly blinking back tears, "will follow when the fight is over." Jet shook his head stubbornly.

"I want to fight!" he repeated. She shook her head, muffled sobs barely concealed.

"We have to go, come now." She held tight to his hand and led him to their house through the panicked crowds. Jet struggled, but his mother merely tightened her grip. "Please, Jet. Please don't argue." She pleaded. Jet glared at the ground, but followed without question.

They packed all their valuables into bags, taking food and anything else that they needed and could carry. Tai and Jet's father came through the door just as they were leaving, his Dad looking stricken. Tai bent down and ruffled Jet's hair.

"Take care, Jet. I'll see you after the battle, okay?" he winked, and hugged him.

"I want to help you." Jet said angrily, "Let me come!"

"I'm sorry, son," his father cut in as Tai stepped back, "You're too young." He scooped him up into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Look after your mother, okay? I love you, Jet." Jet's mother threw herself into her husband's arms, sobbing horribly. Jet watched them, and promised himself that he'd do as his father said and look after his mother, even if he wanted to stay.

"Don't go!" she begged, "Don't do this! Tai- don't!" she grabbed her eldest son's arm, looking like she'd never let go.

"We have to, Nuan. We'll be fine, I promise." He kissed her, and then they were gone. Nuan wiped her tears away and grabbed Jet's hand.

"Come on, sweetheart. Let's go join the others- we don't have much time." They locked the door behind them and ran into the streets, following the quickly-moving crowd out of the village. Jet looked back wistfully, wishing he could stay. He spotted his friend, Min, hugging her father goodbye.

"Go with Nuan and Jet." He said, taking Jet's mother by the arm. Min's mother had died many years before from an unknown sickness. Jet and Min had grown up together- Nuan acting as Min's mother because she had none. Nuan nodded at Min's father, taking his daughter's hand.

"Let's go, children." Nuan said to them, leading them away.

"I love you Daddy!" Min shouted, "Kill those Fire Nation-"

"Min," Nuan hushed her, "Please."

"Sorry." Min grumbled, grinning at Jet. Jet just scowled, still frustrated at being led away from the fighting. They walked in silence, the sound of the other children screaming and women crying speaking for them. Jet wanted nothing more than to turn around and sprint back to the village, grab a weapon and fight off the horrible Fire Nation. Eventually he pulled away from his mother, walking a little way ahead of her.

"Hey, Jet." Min whispered, suddenly right next to him.

"What?" he asked miserably.

"Lookie." She pointed her finger at the ground, and a small chunk of earth rose up. Jet blinked at her.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"We have to go back." She hissed back. "I'll bend rocks at them, and you can attack them with your tiger-claw sword thingys."

"Tiger _head_ hook swords." He corrected. They were stashed in his backpack- a gift from his father a few years ago. "We can't! My Mom would kill us!"

"She won't even know we're gone- come _on_, Jet!" Min hissed, running back to Nuan. "Nuan, can we go play with the other children?" Nuan, whose eyes were red and puffy from crying, nodded slowly.

"Be careful." She warned, her voice hoarse. Jet glared at Min, but he couldn't help but feel excited. They were going to fight! They would be heroes!

"Love you, Mom." He said, hugging her tightly.

"I love you, Jet." She watched him and Min run off together, praying that her family would be together again after this was over.

--

"We shouldn't be doing this." Jet muttered softly, creeping beside Min as they doubled back, hiding in bushes and behind trees as they left the crowd behind.

"Stop being such a wuss." Min teased, her eight year old frame helping her duck and weave between branches quickly.

"I'm not!" Jet protested, "I'm worried about my Mom- Dad _told_ me to protect her."

"Well, quit worrying. She's with everyone else- they're safe." Min told him matter-of-factly. He sighed, hurrying to keep up.

"Can you smell smoke?" he asked. Min nodded, putting a finger to her lips.

"I can hear people yelling- we have to hurry, Jet!" she cried, sprinting off. Jet followed without question, his guilt about leaving his mother behind was ebbing away, replaced by excitement about the battle.

The smoke was getting thick now- Jet and Min were choking, trying hard not to breathe in the smoke. They scrambled up the hill, crying out in horror when they finally laid eyes on their home. It was awful.

The entire village was on fire.

"Dad!" Min shrieked, running down the hill without thinking.

"Min- wait!" Jet tore after her, tackling her and pushing her to the ground. She struggled underneath him, biting at his hands.

"My Dad's down there! He's all I have left!" she sobbed.

"I know, I know! We have to be careful, Min!" He let her up, grabbing her hand. "They'll get us too if we're not quiet!" they dove back into the undergrowth, sneaking quickly down the slope and finally witnessing the bloodbath of war.

Bodies littered the streets, some with weapons still sticking out of them. Min gave a little muffled shriek, and Jet hugged her tightly.

"They're okay, they're okay!" he said urgently, desperately trying to convince himself. He felt a horrible anger burning inside him, threatening to break him if he didn't hold on to it. His father and his brother _had_ to be okay!

"We have to find them!" Min screamed, and this time Jet didn't stop her from running into the flaming village- he just followed...

"NO! Daddy! Daddy wake up!" Min screeched, on the ground beside her Dad, shaking uncontrollably. "_Wake up!_" Jet quietly put his hand on her shoulder, when all he wanted to do was cry. He hadn't seen Tai or his Dad anywhere, but here was Min's father, no longer breathing...

Gone.

"We have to find them! I'll kill them for what they did!" she sobbed, smacking her fists on his chests angrily, then collapsing onto her knees. Jet wrapped his arms around her, and closed his eyes.

"You'll be okay, Min. I'll look after you. Promise." He said softly, lifting her to her feet. "Min, I want you to go and hide. I have to find my Dad, and Tai." Nodding mutely, Min ran for the trees, still shaking. Jet took a deep breath, jumping over Min's father's body. He had to be strong; he had to look after Min until they got back to his Mom...

He felt like he was going to be sick. He had been walking around for an agonisingly long time, but he still couldn't find his family. Then, he heard someone cough. He turned around, and there was his brother, lying on the ground. A blood was pooling around him, but Jet didn't care. He ran to him, kneeling beside him.

"J...et?" Tai croaked. "What are... you..." he trailed off, unable to finish.

"Tai! Where's Dad!?" Jet cried, shaking his brother's shoulders.

"They're all... gone... Jet." He breathed slowly. "The Rough... Rhinos... they followed the... women and... children... after they... fought us..." his eyes closed, Jet's tears leaking onto his face.

"NO! Tai- stay! Don't leave me! You'll be okay, I'll fix you up and you'll be okay!" A small smile found its way slowly onto the older boy's face.

"You're... a fighter... Jet. Fight... for your freedom... be strong..." then, his face relaxed, and he too was gone. Jet pounded his fists on the ground, screaming out in frustration. He lay there for a long time, crying and shaking. He didn't care about the black smoke that was enveloping him, he didn't care that the flames might burn him to a crisp. He just didn't care. Finally, he felt someone wrap their arms around his shoulders.

"Jet... we have to go back." Min told him urgently. "Get up!" Jet bit his lip, finally remembering his promise to his father, and got to his feet. His eyes met Min's, and found sadness mirroring his own.

"We'll stay together, no matter what." He said softly, and then they ran from their blazing home.

--

Death was unavoidable. It was everywhere he looked, and in the air he breathed. The horrible shrieks of terror still plagued his hearing, and he saw his dead family's faces in his dreams. They had run back to the crowd of fleeing women and children, but they were too late. The Rough Rhinos had been there, as well. They were all dead... gone. Min and Jet took to the trees, agreeing to fight for their freedom as long as they lived. Freedom fighters...

Jet liked the idea of that. He promised himself that he'd fight for his freedom, and the freedom of others, no matter the cost.

The Fire Nation wouldn't destroy any one else's lives, not if he could help it.

**A/N;**

**This will be continued. I've got a general plot for this, so expect updates :D**

**I hope you enjoyed, and I love feedback. **

**-Rain**


	2. The Origin of Longshot

**A/N; Thank you to my one, lonely reviewer :) **

**If you have any ideas for this story, please let me know. -grins-**

**Ooooh, and I own nothing! If you guessed that, you're a champion...**

**WARNING; There is a small amount of cussing in this chapter. Two or three words... it IS rated T, guys.**

**-Rain**

Jet narrowed his eyes, plucking the strand of grass he had taken to chewing on from his mouth and dropping it from the tree. Silently he leapt from branch to branch, knowing the tree patterns like the back of his hand. He finally came to a stop and leant against the wide trunk of the tree, peering across the canopy to see the large Fire Nation camp- an easy target at this time of night.

The campfire was dying down to embers, the tents zipped up and horses safely secured. Jet felt someone land on the branch beside him, and glanced across to find Min grinning at him.

"Hi, Scowlers." She teased softly, poking him in the arm. At ten years old she still looked like a child, as did he, but they had seen and learnt more than anyone twice their age. They'd survived two years on their own, gathering food and stealing whatever they could find. They had a shelter amongst the high branches in the deep forest, and it was growing every day.

"Shh." Jet breathed, shaking his head. He pointed to the camp, and Min smirked. She brushed back a strand of her long brown hair and leapt on to the next branch. Soon they were flying through the trees like wild children, forgetting for a moment that they had the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Jet smiled as he heard Min's carefree laugh. They should've been given more time to be children, instead of being forced to grow up.

--

"Let me go!" the boy screamed, watching his father's bow being ripped apart by a laughing soldier. He had been taken from his village when the soldiers came, 'old enough to fight in the Fire Nation Army'. _12 years old and an orphan,_ the boy thought bitterly, _and about to be trained for the army. I won't do it!_

"Stop breaking my bow!" he yelled, struggling against his captors. They merely laughed.

"You won't need a bow in the Army, boy! We'll give you a sword and stick you on the front line with the others, how about that!? Haha!" a slightly round, stout man chuckled, tossing the wrecked bow at him.

Tears flowed freely down the boy's face, the blazing camp fire reflected in the little wet trails they left. He stared down at his father's most prized possession, the only thing he had left of his deceased family...

"You bastards! You horrible soulless men! Scum of the earth!" the boy spat in front of him, shaking horribly.

"You shut your mouth boy!" a soldier snarled, his sword suddenly at the orphaned boy's throat.

"Kill me then! Add to your sins! Your nation is nothing but a pile of shit- you should be ashamed to call yourselves human!" the boy snarled, jutting his chin up and feeling the blade nick his throat. Beside him, the other captured children whimpered in fear. The man's eyes narrowed, pushing the blade an inch closer.

"Do not speak- you will regret it." His voice was deathly quiet, dangerous. "If you insult my homeland again-" the boy cut him off by spitting in his face. There was a moment of complete silence, and the small boy's whimpering beside him grew louder. Suddenly, the sword was removed from the boy's neck.

The soldier scoffed, wiping the spit off his face, and then he struck. The boy winced, waiting for the pain to come...

But it didn't.

Beside him, the younger boy howled in agony. The other kids screamed in horror, but the twelve year old just watched in silent anguish.

"I told you not to speak." The soldier sneered, "Now his death is on your shoulders." The boy closed his eyes, shuddering horribly as they dragged the body away.

The other children were soon taken away- the first carriage was ready to depart. He was to be left there and travel on foot with the soldiers. He had 'a lesson to learn'.

He didn't care- he'd _killed_ someone, just by talking... he slid to the ground, fighting the tears that threatened to fall.

Right then, he made a vow- he would never talk again.

--

Jet crept into the camp, Min following close behind. They began raiding the camp- silently stealing food supplies that would last, an odd weapon and even a crate of dynamite. One by one the items were carried up the tree, packed in to the bags they had brought.

The crate of dynamite waited at the top of the tree while they grabbed smaller things of use- they'd have to carry it back slowly, using their combined strength to heave it all the way back to the hideout.

Light snores could be heard from all around them, and finally after tense minutes of grabbing anything they could carry, they were ready to leave. Jet glanced around, making sure they hadn't been spotted, when he noticed something strange.

A boy a few years older than he was, and considerably taller, was lying on the ground outside a Fire Nation tent, tossing and turning restlessly. Jet motioned for Min to follow him as they tip-toed closer.

"See his clothes- he's one of us!" Min hissed, pointing. Jet nodded, moving forward and tapping the boy on the shoulder. He woke up with a start, eyes widening in terror.

"We're friends." He mouthed, untying the boy's binds. Slowly the boy got to his feet, still looking shaken. Min took his hand and offered him a reassuring smile.

"Come on." She whispered. The boy tore his hand away, stumbling backwards.

"Hey! What's going on out there?" Min and Jet scrambled for the forest, leaving the boy stranded and alone. The killer from before left his tent and saw the boy free of his binds, and immediately ran forward and shoved the boy to the ground. Min winced and Jet squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"We'll get him." He mouthed fiercely.

The boy didn't make a sound- he just lay there as he was tied up again and snarled at.

"You're a long-shot. Most kids we take don't make good soldiers- they're too _weak_! You showed defiance- I like that. I guess we'll find out whether you'll make it as a Fire Nation soldier, or whether you'll _die_ like your friend did before." He jabbed a finger into the boy's chest, yawned and re-entered his tent.

A few moments later, Min rushed out and all but _dragged_ the boy into the thick forest, ignoring Jet's calls for her to come back. Jet cut the binds with his knife, and the three shimmied up the tree without much difficulty.

"Who are you?" Jet asked bluntly, his eyes demanding a response. The boy backed up against the trunk, still not speaking.

"Jet!" Min scolded, smiling warmly at the boy. "Can you tell us your name?"

There was a hesitation, and the boy shook his head. Min frowned slightly. "Well, we'll figure it out later. Let's get out of here!" they gathered up their things and started to leave, but the boy didn't move.

"Meet you at the hideout, okay?" Jet murmured to Min, who nodded and began the long journey home- backpacks not weighing her down in the slightest. Sighing, Jet turned to the boy.

"Do you _want_ to go back to the soldiers?" he asked, frowning. The boy shook his head hurriedly. "What, you can't give a proper answer?" he demanded, taking a step forward. A hesitation, then he gestured to his throat. Jet closed his eyes briefly.

"Look, our families were killed too. Min and I are doing whatever we can to stay alive, okay? Join us, or be a punching bag for those soldiers. Your choice." Jet turned to leave, hearing a tentative footstep behind him. Together the two boys stole away in the night, leaving nothing but a few severed pieces of rope behind them.

--

He decided liked Min okay- she was nice. Jet was less friendly, more focused on surviving and practicing his swordplay. Min showed him her earthbending, which he liked.

His mother had been an Earth Bender.

A few days after he had come to stay with them, Min got tired of having nothing to call him. She was fed up, and made him write in the dirt what his name was. He shook his head- ever since he had caused that boy to be killed, he wanted nothing to do with his life as a village boy, including his name. The loud, arrogant Raio was gone- a silent boy in his place. A new personality, a new name.

"Well, what do you like to do?" Min asked, fed-up. He hesitated for a moment, then smiled.

_**Archery.**_

Her eyes lit up. "Finally! Jet- our friend here's gonna show us his stuff." Jet, who had been watching, went to get a bow for the boy, as well as some arrows. He tossed them down, watching as the boy caught them easily.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, the boy drew back an arrow and sent it flying, watching proudly as it hit a tree a few hundred yards away.

"Woah! That was a long shot!" Jet crowed, coming to stand beside him. "Can you do it again?" Shrugging, the boy reloaded the arrow and let it go- it hit the tree just a few feet above the first arrow.

"Another long shot!" Min smiled, laughing. "Hey- Longshot. It's better than 'Hey- you!' I suppose. What do you think?" the boy nodded- it seemed fitting. An archer who needed a new name- perfect.

"Longshot. Welcome to the Freedom Fighters." Jet put a hand on his shoulder, and smiled. Longshot smiled back hesitantly, but couldn't help the worry in his heart.

Would they still accept him, even if they knew what he'd done?

**A/N;**

**My little take on why Longshot is so silent. Wasn't really a Jet-centric chapter but oh well, it's all adding up to the Jet we know today ;) **

**Thanks for reading :)**

**-Rain**


	3. Smellerbee and Story Time

**A/N;**

**2 reviews :)**

**Thanks guys :D **

**Please though, I love getting feedback. Even if it's just 'this was good', or 'this was okay', that's fine. I'm trying to improve my writing all the time, so your help is very much appreciated. **

**-Rain**

The large boar snorted angrily, pawing his foot on the ground. Jet held his hook swords at the ready, crouched slightly as he prepared to spring.

The beast roared and charged forward. Jet's young frame leapt nimbly out of the way, landing a few feet to the left. He'd practiced this hundreds of times. He faked forward, lashing out with one of his swords. The boar stumbled to the side, trying to evade the silver blade, only to have the second one slash his side.

Jet moved as soon as he'd made the first gash, prepared to run from an enraged boar, or fight a slightly weakened one. It all depended on the animal's temperament, or how badly it had been hurt. Judging by the awful snarling it was doing, not that much.

Stabbing one of the hook swords into a nearby tree, Jet swung from it and landed on the boar's back, sliding the blade out as he went. He lifted the sword, about to slice it into-

_Oof!_

The boar threw him off, catching Jet by surprise. He shook his head, slightly dazed. He yelled out, watching helplessly as the boar reared up- about to crush him...

There was a faint whistling sound, and the boar groaned in surprise. Jet rolled out of the way as he slumped to the ground, dead. Instantly cautious, Jet looked around frantically. He found Longshot standing a little way away, bow out.

"Thanks, Longshot." Jet sighed, relieved. He grinned. "I would've been mashed up if you hadn't showed up."

Longshot merely shrugged and put his bow away.

"Here, help me."

Together the two boys took what they needed and took it back to the hideout, ready to roast it for dinner in a few hours. Min was at the trunk of the tree, practicing her earth bending. She looked up and waved, face lighting up as she saw the food. They hadn't had meat in a while.

She wove her way up and dropped down on the hideout platform beside Jet. Longshot had gone to store the meat away.

"Yum, yum." Jet grinned, waving his blood-covered hands in Min's face. She rolled her eyes and shoved him backwards.

"Go wash your hands, pig." She smirked. Jet dropped from the trees, heading for the river a few yards away. They'd picked a good spot to build their hideout- water nearby, plenty of food available, well hidden...

"Hey! Get _away_ from me, you big jerk!" Jet looked up, searching for the source of the sound. "Help!" Jet tore through the woods, heading for the dirt path that wound its way around the forest, connecting the villages. He crouched low to the ground, seeing a small girl in a dirty brown dress being held down by a Fire Nation soldier.

Jet narrowed his eyes, watching as the girl sobbed fearfully. "Stop it!" Jet whipped out his swords, charging forward and leaping onto the soldier's back. He stood up in surprise, releasing the girl. Jet jerked his head in the direction he had come, and the girl took off.

"You little-" Jet was picked up and thrown to the ground like a ragdoll, but he was persistent. Growling angrily, the boy slashed into the man's arm with a hook sword, watching with glee as the blood dribbled down from the wound.

The soldier blinked in surprise, but his stare soon turned angry. He punched forward, connected with Jet's face. He felt his nose crunch, and hissed out a breath, feeling the pain.

"Hey! You jerk!" suddenly the girl was on the man's shoulders, smashing a rock down on his head. He dropped like a stone, and the girl kicked him as he went down before jumping off.

"Woah... thanks." He said in surprise. She shrugged.

"Thank _you_." She said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Jet. Who are you?" the girl bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Smellerbee. That's what my Dad called me." She said softly. Jet scowled- would the Fire Nation ever stop?

"Did they..." Jet trailed off as the girl nodded. "Me and my friends have a hideout not too far from here. Come with me, and you'll be safe." She didn't hesitate, she just followed without question.

--

Min stared at Jet in surprise as he introduced the girl he had brought with him.

"I send you out to wash your hands..." she shook her head, smiling. "Hi Smellerbee, I'm Min." The girl smiled back shyly. Min frowned when she saw the girl's tattered and singed clothes. "Let's go get you something better to wear."

She took the girl's hand and they went into Min's room. Min threw things on to the make-shift bed for her to try on, things they'd stolen from trading carts or surrounding villages. Eventually, Smellerbee settled on an outfit she liked.

"Oh, those are boys' clothes." Min said, shaking her head. "Jet's old ones. They must've got-"

"I like them." Smellerbee insisted. She looked sad. "That man wanted me because I was a girl." Min made a mental note to ask Jet what had happened later. Right then, she smiled.

"That's okay. We're going to have dinner soon- how about I show you around?" she offered, watching with relief as Smellerbee nodded with an eager grin. She seemed to be okay about her parent's assumed death, for now. But Min knew the anguish would come later, when she was alone with her thoughts.

She just hoped that Smellerbee could find hope in their little gang, like she did.

--

"Story time, kids." Jet smirked, lazily chewing on a piece of grass.

"Kids? Longshot is older than you, and we're the same age!" Min protested. Jet shrugged. "Fine. I'll go first." She grumbled.

Story time was something Min had come up with when they first settled in the trees. She wanted to remember past, happier times, an attempt to focus on the good instead of the bad. Smellerbee had been there a week, and had so far cut her hair into a crude boy's fashion, sharing Jet's obsession with swordplay and practicing with him any chance she got.

"I remember my Dad used to take me whenever he visited other villages, and he'd smile and say to me 'One thing, Min. One thing.' By the end of the trip, I had countless little trinkets that he'd bought for me." She smiled, blowing back a strand of hair, "He always said that one of these days he'd have to be more stern, but he never meant it." She tapped Jet on the hand. "Your turn."

He thought for a moment. Min's tradition of 'Story time' once a week seemed stupid to him, but it meant a lot to her so he never failed to have a story ready. He'd never admit it, but it _did_ make him smile, just a little.

"My brother used to take me out and practice fighting with me. He used a katana, while I used a simple sword. I never liked the sword too much, and would beg my father for a weapon of my own." He smiled, remembering his father's laugh.

"Then, he bought me these hook swords. Tai always let me win. He was the best at fighting out of all the boys his age, but he let me win every time."

Jet lay back, staring up at the dark sky through the leaves. He missed his family, but his new one needed him. He would do whatever it took to keep them safe and free of the Fire Nation. At first it had just been Min and him, and Min was as tough as him anyway.

Then Longshot had come, and there was another mouth to feed. Now Smellerbee, who needed to be trained to fight like the rest of them could. He liked Smellerbee- she was resilient for a girl her size. Longshot was a good scout- silent and stealthier than he or Min.

Their little troop was growing.

"My big brother used to protect me from the mean kids in our village. I was different to them- I didn't like dolls or having my hair brushed or anything like that. I hated wearing dresses, but I did it to keep my mother happy." she sighed, staring down at her lap.

"They used to ask me if I was really a girl. I just told them that dresses annoyed me, and swords were more interesting than dolls. Still, they continued to call me names. Then, my brother stepped in. He and I snuck into the meanest girl's house and stole every one of her dolls. We hid them from her, and she never knew it was us." She grinned, and Min laughed.

"He told me to be happy with who I was." Longshot smiled at her, and began writing in the dirt.

_**My father taught me how to hit a target hundreds of feet away. **_

Longshot's stories were always short, but that was no big deal. He didn't like talking, and no one pushed that.

Jet glanced around at the Earth Bender, the archer and the swords girl sitting around the campfire. He grinned- maybe, just maybe, they could make a difference. Every day, families were being torn apart, homes destroyed and lives lost. They had freedom, so why couldn't everyone else?

Together, they would be a force to be reckoned with.

**A/N;**

**A little shorter than the others, but not by much. I hope you enjoyed it, and please review :)**

**-Rain**


	4. As tough as any boy

**A/N;**

**No reviews :(**

**-is sad-**

**Oh well, I like writing this story so I'mma update anyways! :)**

**-Rain**

"You moose-lion turd!" Smellerbee shouted, hurling a rock down at Jet from high in the trees. She leapt nimbly from branch to branch, growling angrily at him. "Who the hell do you think you are!?"

"I'm- ow! Sorry Smellerbee!" he called up, wincing as a rock hit him in the head. Min just giggled, swinging her legs back and forth over a branch.

"You shouldn't have insulted our gender, Jet!" she chastised playfully, braiding her hair. Jet winced again, barely dodging another rock. Geez, were girls always this defensive?

He hadn't even _done_ anything! He'd just told Smellerbee that she couldn't come hunting because it was a guy's job!

"I didn't mean it!" he cried. Smellerbee glared at him.

"I'm as good as you, and you know it!" she yelled defiantly. Jet frowned, and nodded. Smellerbee _was_ good, but he wouldn't admit that she could equal him in talent. As a twelve year old, he had his boyish morals to keep intact.

Smellerbee felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to find Longshot staring calmly down at her. She scowled up at him, shrugging off his hand. He sighed, his eyes telling her to follow him. She threw one last rock down at Jet before following the silent archer.

Jet watched them leave, rubbing his bruised head.

"How come _you're_ not crazy like that?" Jet asked, going to sit beside Min. She shrugged, popping another nut into her mouth.

"I've known you too long to be oversensitive around you, Scowlers." Min replied, "Bee wants to be tough and strong. She _is_ tough and strong. You basically told her she wasn't. Great job." She patted Jet's cheek and got to her feet.

"But I didn't _mean_ to." Jet grumbled. "Now what?"

"Leave her and Longshot to do their thing. It's weird- the loud, arrogant tomboy and the silent fourteen year old. Opposites, and yet they understand each other." Min started walking away, "You want to be a good leader? Learn to understand what we each want from you."

Jet caught her hand. "_Help_ me understand." Min smiled.

"Was that an offer to _share_ the leadership, Scowlers?" she playfully poked him in the shoulder as she sat down again.

"For now." He replied with a smile. "What do they want, Mami?" Smellerbee had taken to calling Min 'Mami', because she 'acted so much like a Mom'. At first it had been just 'Mom', but Min hadn't like that. After a few tries, Mami became acceptable, because it didn't sound too much like 'Mom', but had the same effect.

"Longshot wants someone to lead. He wants acceptance. He wants a place to call 'home'." Min began, swinging her legs back and forth again, "Bee wants to be just like you, Jet. She's the strongest girl I know, even though she is small for our age. You forget that she's our age sometimes, I think. She's not helpless. She works too hard so that she isn't."

Jet frowned, thinking it over. "So I have to lead and accept Longshot, and let Smellerbee hunt with me and Longshot?" Min nodded.

"But not just that. You've got to think of them as _family_, not as _followers_."

"I do think of them as family-"

"I know." Min nodded, "I'm just reminding you. You're a good leader- you've kept us free for four years now. Just keep doing what you're doing, and don't set Smellerbee off again."

"But Min... what about you?" Jet asked. He watched as her eyebrows furrowed, and she gave him a wry smile.

"I've got my best friend," she said finally, "I guess that's what I want from you. I've got it, so-"

"Thanks, Mami." Jet said, letting her hug him.

"Geez, a 'thank you', _and_ a hug? It must be my lucky day!" Min laughed, standing up once more. "Now, I've got a hideout to clean- and so do you. Smellerbee and Longshot aren't going to be back for a while, so get your butt in here and help me!"

Jet shook his head, smiling, as his best friend dragged him after her.

--

"I felt so... helpless." Smellerbee said gruffly, kicking a stone in their path and sending it flying. "I hated it." She looked up at Longshot. "Is it bad for a girl to want to be tough?" He smiled and shook his head.

"I mean- aren't girls supposed to like bright colours and pretty things? I like knives and swords. I like hunting. I _hate_ feeling weak. I _hate_ Jet for thinking I am!" Without warning, she whipped her knife from its holder and hurled it into a tree with deadly precision.

Longshot shook his head again as she went to retrieve it. Smellerbee scoffed. "Yeah, right Longshot. He thinks I'm _just_ as tough as he is! Whatever you say." He raised an eyebrow. "I just want to smush his stupid face in!"

Longshot grabbed her arm and shook his head _again_. Smellerbee sighed. "I know. That's not going to help. I just want to do more. I'm not useless, and I'm not going to be-" she cut herself off and stalked away angrily. Longshot sighed and followed, knowing she'd rant again when she was ready.

A few moments of walking in silence later, she did just that.

"When my village was burnt down, I was taken by one of the soldiers." Her voice was small, terrified... "He said I was pretty, and might just take me home to the Fire Nation with him... I was so scared, and so _angry_ and hurt all at the same time. Because I was a girl, because I was in a dress, because I looked _weak_, he wanted me." Tears welled up in her eyes.

"So I'm not going to be weak anymore. I'm strong, and if I ever see him again-" she stopped in surprise as Longshot pulled her into a hug. They stood there for a few moments, and finally she wrapped her arms around him.

Eventually he pulled away, and they kept walking. Smellerbee smiled. "Thanks Longshot."

Longshot grabbed his bow and grinned, nodding towards the forest. Bee caught on quickly, and her hands flew to her sword.

_This'll show Jet! _She thought with a smirk, before following her friend.

--

"I'm impressed," Jet said with a grin, seeing Smellerbee dragging a big animal carcass into camp, "That's a great kill." She blinked at him in surprise.

"Really?" she asked. Jet nodded.

"Bee, I'm sorry about before. This just proves what I've been thinking. You're a great fighter. You're a great hunter, and I didn't mean what I said." Jet said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you're here, Smellerbee."

The girl's eyes lit up and she smirked, trying not to show her pride. "Thanks, Jet."

"No problem. Now let's fry this thing up! I'm starved!" he laughed, picking up one end while Smellerbee got the other.

"Wanna help us, Mami?" Bee called. Longshot watched the three of them carry the animal up the pulley they had built to be cut up and cooked, and he smiled. Suddenly, he heard a noise from behind him, and he whirled around, whipping his bow out as he did. Poised at the ready, he waited for the slightest movement.

None came.

Frowning slightly, _sure_ that he heard something, Longshot lowered his bow, and turned to follow his family.

_Whack! _

Longshot stumbled forward as something hit him in the back of the head. Something warm dribbled down his neck- blood. Slightly dizzy from the impact, Longshot turned around and narrowed his eyes, arrow ready to fly through the air as soon as he twitched his fingers slightly...

"You've got two seconds to tell me your name," a deep voice said, someone stepping into the clearing, "If you're Fire Nation, you got half a second."

Longshot didn't drop his stance, although the teen was _big_. Shaggy dark hair framed his face, and Longshot realised a little boy was hiding behind his legs. He looked about four or five, give or take.

The big guy was holding a bigger rock, and Longshot didn't think he'd hesitate to try and use it against him.

"I said _two seconds_, archer boy." He growled. Longshot pointed to his throat, then at the platform which would take them up to the hideout.

"Pipsqueak," the little boy said, "Look!" 'Pipsqueak' craned his neck up, seeing three figures dropping down from above.

"Friends of yours?" he muttered, "Sorry, the Duke. We gotta scram."

"Wait!" Jet called, landing beside Longshot. "We're friendly!"

"Yeah, don't leave." Min protested.

"Who are you all?" Pipsqueak demanded. Jet stepped forward.

"I'm Jet, this is Mami, or Min," he amended, seeing the look Min was giving him, "Longshot and Smellerbee. Our villages were burnt down by the Fire Nation."

"It's just you four, all on your own?" Pipsqueak asked in surprise. "Aw, hell. Sorry about that, buddy. The Duke here and I are on our own too! We don't like strangers- never know who's out to get you, right?" Pipsqueak laughed loudly.

"We're the Freedom Fighters." Jet continued, his tone a tiny bit proud, "We raid Fire Nation camps, and take whatever we want."

"You're welcome to stay here." Min offered with a warm smile. Jet nodded.

"Thanks, that'd be great. We've been hiding from the Fire Nation for weeks. I can't believe we never found you before now!" Pipsqueak grinned.

"Yeah!" The Duke chimed in, clambering onto Pipsqueak's shoulders. "Great!"

**A/N;**

**Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed my take on why Smellerbee looked and acted much like a boy in the series.**

**-Rain**


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